Father accepted it. But as an atonement for sin implied suffering for it, and the Deity is incapable of suffering, not on account of any imperfection, but of his absolute perfection, it was necessary that he should assume a nature that was capable of suffering. This might be the nature of angels or of men. It was more

proper to assume the nature of men than of angels, because the words Thou shalt surely die respect the human nature: therefore it was necessary that the nature which had sinned should die. From this time then, preparation was made for the coming of the Son of God into the world; and the promise of his incarnation from the seed of the woman, was given immediately after the fall. About this time also, it appears that God, in order to teach man in what way he would save such, namely, not without shedding of blood, instituted the observance of sacrifices. It is not indeed expressly said in the book of Genesis, that God commanded this rite, but it seems extremely evident; for Abel offered a sacrifice, and was accepted in preference to Cain. But in the New Testament it is said, that "by faith Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain." Now faith implies a divine command; for where there is no command of God, there is no place for the exercise of faith. Even before Abel, it seems most probable that Adam and Eve offered sacrifices by the divine command: for it is said that God made them, or prepared for them coats of skins, and clothed them,

Now as animal food was not allowed mankind till after the flood, it is not easy to say why these animals should be killed, but in sacrifices; and God's clothing them was a lively figure of their being clothed with the righteousness of Christ-They obtained it not of themselves, it was God that gave it to them; to signify, that the righteousness with which our naked souls are clothed, is not our righteousness, but the righteousness which is of God. And we may also conceive that our first parents, who, when naked, were clothed at the expense of life, might be taught by this, that the covering of the inward nakedness of the soul was to be at the expense of the life and blood-that without shedding of blood there is no remission. These considerations respecting sacrifices, receive considerable strength from the consideration of the acknowledged universality of the practice; from the sameness of the manner in which the whole world offered these sacrifices; and from that merit and expiation which were constantly supposed to be effected by them. The practice has been so general, that it is probable, not a single people can be found upon earth, among whom it has not prevailed at one time or other: nay, it is surprising to observe how general was the custom of human sacrifices, unnatural as it is. The ancient Egyptians, Cretans, Arabians, Persians-the inhabitants of all the Greek and the Asiatic islands-the Romans-the people of Gaul

and Germany, all the inhabitants of the north, of whatever denomination-the Scythians, the various nations upon the Baltic, held it as a fixed principle, that their happiness and security could not be obtained, but at the expense of the lives of others. These accounts are handed down from a variety of authors in different ages, many of whom were natives of the countries which they describe. They would not therefore have brought so foul an imputation on the people, in favor of whom they were writing; nor could there be that concurrence of testimony, were not the history in general true. The practice we full well know was prevalent in our own island in ancient times, when the forests were stained with the gore of men dying under the knife of the Druids. In modern times, it is seen to prevail. It was found in Mexico and Peru, and most parts of America. In Africa it is still kept up in the inland parts; and in this heathen country it has been the custom, from time immemorial. There are particular directions given in their sacred books, for the ceremonies to be performed at the sacrifice of human victims. It is within ten years or less, that the sacrifice of children was prohibited by the government; and little doubt can be entertained that many are yearly sacrificed in the forests of Bengal.

The manner of sacrificing animals, among all nations, has also been very similar. Both among the Jews, Greeks and Romans, the victim was to be without blemish or imperfec

tion: and amongst the latter people, if the animal made any resistance, it was thought a bad omen. If thought fit to be offered, they confessed their sins over the victim, and then slaughtered him.

Now human reason even amongst the most strenuous opponents of the divine institutions, is allowed to be incapable of pointing out the. least natural fitness or congruity, between blood and atonement-between killing God's creatures, and receiving a pardon for the violation of God's laws. Yet this effect of sacrifices when properly offered, was the invariable opinion of the heathens: they had also a traditionary belief among them, that their animal sacrifices were not only expiatory, but vicarious. Commutations, and substitutions, or satisfactions, being so remote from, nay, contrary to any lesson that nature teaches, as they confessedly are, it seems evident that they originated in a primitive command of God, though certainly carried to a dreadful and unscriptural length, when extended to human sacrifices; and God has suffered the practice of sacrifice in general to continue, perhaps, that the minds of men may be accustomed to the idea of remission through blood-shedding, and thus be more ready hereafter to receive the gospel, the preaching of which is to reveal the great sacrifice. God continued to order all the affairs of providence in subservience to All of these we cannot notice,

the same event.

only those which are more particularly connected with the text.

Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were regular and exact in their sacrifices; and in that remarkable instance of Abraham being called to offer up his son Isaac, a more clear intimation of what God was about to do was given, than had ever been given before. Here a father was seen offering an innocent son. Moreover, the place where the great event was to take place was pointed out. Peculiar and repeated direction was given to Abraham to go to that particular mountain, and no other; and a remark is made in that chapter of Genesis of a proverb that had arisen "In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen," a tradition that would naturally lead men to expect something remarkable to take place there. At last, God separated the family of Abraham to be a peculiar people, to shew forth more fully than ever, what was intended to be done. There had been many typical events before respecting Christ, but now, instead of a few and insulated notices, as the time approached he gives a law, full of nothing but various and innumerable representations by which that nation was directed every year, month, and day in their religious actions, and in their conduct of themselves in their ecclesiastic, and civil affairs, to shew forth what was coming-one observance exhibiting one doctrine or benefit, another, another: so that the whole nation as it were,

* Gen. xxii, 14.